Alex let out a breath as he put his pistol away. He looked towards the drive, and saw Willow rising to her feet in the shadows. Their eyes met. She seemed shaken, but gave him a small smile. She was okay; it was over with. Alex felt himself relax a notch as he smiled back, and for a second there was only the two of them. At a slight movement to his left he glanced over, his gaze leaving Willow reluctantly – and his blood froze.

Tex was aiming his gun right at her.

“No!” Alex hurtled forward, tackling him just as the pistol went off. They crashed to the ground together, the gun skittering across the pavement.

“What the hell are you doing?” he shouted. “She’s on our side!”

The guy writhed under him like a fish out of water, struggling to get free. “Let me up!” he yelled. “She’s not human – her aura is angelic—”

“She’s on our side!” shouted Alex again. Tex’s fists were flailing; Alex held him down, ducking to avoid being hit. “Jesus, will you listen to me—”

Tex bucked upwards, half getting away as he scrambled on all fours for his gun. Alex threw himself after him, grabbing him around the waist. The guy twisted and swung, his fist connecting hard with Alex’s cheekbone. The world went red; Alex slammed him back to the ground. Drawing his pistol, he shoved it in the guy’s face. The struggling stopped as Tex stared at it.

“Do. Not. Move,” Alex gritted out.

Slowly, he rose to his feet, still aiming his pistol at Tex. His cheek was throbbing; he hardly noticed. The others stood nearby, staring, not moving a muscle. “All of you – guns on the ground,” he ordered without looking at them. Silence. “Now,” he barked.

They must have heard something in his tone that convinced them. There was a brief hesitation, then the clatter of weapons being dropped on concrete.

“Willow, are you okay?” called Alex, not taking his eyes off the muscular blond guy. He held an arm out in her direction, and felt infinite relief as she appeared at his side, slipping under his arm.

“I’m fine,” she whispered. “Alex, I’m fine; he didn’t hit me.”

Thank god. “Get behind me,” he muttered, squeezing her shoulders briefly. Tex’s gun was just beside his foot; as Willow moved behind him, Alex kicked it away, sending it spinning into the shadows.

“She’s not human!” insisted Tex from the ground, his drawling voice fierce. “She’s one of them – you must be on their side, too—”